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By Ndidiamaka Ede
On February 3, this year at the Roar Hub Hall of the prestigious University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), it was a celebration of excellence and power of the human spirit.
It was a day the crème de la crème of the university community and beyond converged for the Junior Chamber International Investiture (swearing-in ceremony), an occasion when newly elected officials of the organization take the oath of office. The colourful event includes the symbolic passing of the chain of authority from the immediate past president to the newly elected one.
The annual event which was witnessed by Daily Sun followed the organization’s careful election process, aimed at selecting competent leaders to propel the organization to greater heights.
This year’s ceremony, which was one of its kind was for the investiture of the JCIN-UNN 2024 president, Miss Chinalurumogu Eze, and other stakeholders.
In his speech, the general manger, Solid FM, an independent commercial radio station located in Enugu state, Mr. Uche Uma, described the newly elected president of JCIN-UNN, Chinalurumogu Eze as a “Story of transformation.”
Mr. Uma, who is also the president, South East Creative Space stated that he was very sure Miss Eze would take JCIN-UNN to the next level, dscribing her as a story of transformation that can take individuals and any organization to the place of not knowing what to do, to that of clarity.
Narrating how the newly elected president became a celebrity in 2023 and having to represent Nigeria in France for Roger Hatchuel Student Academy, the media personality stated that he admires her energy, persistence and courage.
The media practitioner explained that JCI is the largest youth based organization in Nigeria. He said, “school will give you 30 percent of what you need to grow while 70 percent comes from the network you build and the organization like JCI that you belong.” He encouraged JCI members, noting that swearing in the president would be the beginning of her and every other member’s greatest height.
Chinalurumuogu Eze is a final year student of mass communication, UNN, and also an award winning campus journalist, storyteller and entertainment reporter. During an interview with her, she stated that her vision is to take JCIN UNN to the next level through content creation and for this reason, her theme for her tenure is, ‘Revitalizing our story.’
She said: “As a storyteller, I have seen how well thought-out narratives are used to sell brands and individuals. What JCIN UNN badly needs right now is brand visibility and awareness and membership growth. We can achieve that with the way we decide to tell our story. Nobody can tell this story better than us. The story is there but it needs to be strengthened. It needs to be revitalized. So, we’re employing any means possible to achieve that.”
According to her, JCI is an organization for young people between the ages of 18-40 years. “If you are intentional about your network, personal development and the likes, JCI is the right place for you”, she said.
Nalu, as she is popularly called in UNN, noted confidently that during her tenure, she should be able to beat her chest and say that JCIN UNN has about 200 members.
The immediate past president, JCIN-UNN, Mr. Enoch Shimeson, expressed confidence that Chinalurumogu will continue from where he stopped. He said: “I have worked with Nalu. She was the 2023 executive vice-president. I believe she will do the work from where I stopped to a greater height, because she pays attention to details and she believes that things must not only be done, but should be done in a standard way.”
Meanwhile, Shimeson admitted that he feels elevated leaving the office of the president because it is really a stepping stone to another opportunity. He explained that over the time he served, he learnt patience, networking, teamwork and other skills as a young person and that he believes he can do great things in the outside world. He said: “When a responsibility is being lifted from you, bigger responsibility is given to you. So, leaving the office as a president of JCI Nigeria, UNN, I believe there’s another opportunity waiting for me to be able to share what I learnt so far.
“Joining JCI Nigeria has given me the opportunity to connect with people who are doing great things in and outside Nigeria.”
He encouraged the youth to join JCI because it will give them an edge. “JCI is not just an organization but a place where you network with young people doing amazing things,” he said.
JCI Nigeria National vice-president South-South/Southeast and Ambassador, Mr. Uti Iyang, speaking on the theme of the event, ‘identifying opportunities for transformative leadership’, used what he referred to as the “red car theory” to describe how one fails to identify opportunity by not being intentional. He stated that opportunities are like red cars passing on the road and that it is one who is keen about knowing how many cars that pass that will know when they actually pass.
He explained that a lot of time, opportunities will not come as a packaged item. “As a young person, identify the opportunities around you. If everything you have been doing in UNN is to meet the same lecturers and the same class mates till you graduate, you will remain the same. I joined JCI to be better,” he said.
The JCI ambassador also noted that one can identify opportunities through crisis management, internal development, external assessment and stakeholder engagement. But the most important of all is the stakeholder engagement which is connecting with people that are already in the field, those that are experienced. This act he described as networking with the right people.
“Your values transform into attitudes, your attitudes to leadership. JCI will help you identify your opportunities because it is the only organization where young people lead young people”, he affirmed.
Other members of JCIN UNN’s board of directors who took oath of office at the event are: Jacinta Oguadimma (Executive Vice President), Prince Onyenekwe (General Secretary), Ugochi Ajah (Financial Secretary), Ruth Akuma (Director for Welfare), Neefechukwu Ureme (Director for Media and Communications), James Ndukwe (Director for Skills and Development), Abigail Felix (Director for Special Duties), Nelly Otoko (Director for Awards and Documentation), Anthony Nduka (Director for Trainings and Projects), Chiamaka Ogbodo (Director for Growth and Retention), Mandy Angel (Director for travels and tours), Ifeoma Akubue ( Editor), Segun Ajibode (Director for Business). Past president JCIN UNN, who is also the current CEO 3mal Group, Kelechi Ndieze was also in attendance.
Junior Chamber International is a global organization that aims at equipping its members with full potential of changing the world by raising enterprising young leaders. It comprises of members between the age of 18-40 years. The organization is present in higher institutions and in over 5000 locations across 115 countries of the world.
